New Police Chief Shon Barnes blows off Public Safety Review Committee

Ok – that headline might be a little unfair, but I’m a little irritated. Probably not at the new chief, but those advising him.

HOW DID HE BLOW US (PSRC) OFF?

BACKGROUND ON PUBLIC SAFETY REVIEW COMMITTEE (PSRC)

The Public Safety Review Committee (PSRC) is the policy committee when it comes to public safety – primarily police and fire, not health for the City of Madison.  Planning issues got to Plan Commission, Finance issues go to the Finance Committee, public safety issues go to the Public Safety Review Committee.  Seems self explanatory.

You wouldn’t know it from the way we are treated by many in city hall – like we are a nuisance for wanting to do our jobs – but officially, our charge is as follows:

The work of the Public Safety Review Committee shall be advisory to the Mayor and the Common Council to assist them in the performance of their statutory duties regarding the police and fire departments. The role of the Public Safety Review Committee shall in no way interfere with the lawfully prescribed powers and duties of the Common Council, the Police and Fire Commission, the Mayor, or the Chiefs of the respective Police or Fire Departments.

The Public Safety Review Committee may, in the performance of its duties:

(a) Review service priorities and capital budget priorities of the Police and Fire departments;

(b) Serve as liaison between the community and the City on public safety issues;

(c) Review annually and make recommendations to the Mayor and the Common Council regarding the annual work plans and long-range goals of the departments.

So much to unpack there, but we should be advising on the operating and capital budgets, having input on the (non-existent) police and fire department work plans and long range goals (strategic planning?) of the departments.  We’re also supposed to be a liaison between the city and and the public on public safety issues.  So far our efforts to give input to the budget have been thrwarted, partially by our own members.  Public meetings go on all the by the (former) chief’s, district captains and alders, and we aren’t even sent courtesy notices or invited.  And the police department can’t produce any annual work plans or long range goals for us to give input to.  The fire department at least has a strategic plan – we just weren’t involved in it at all.

WHEN WILL PSRC MEET THE NEW POLIC CHIEF?

March. 5 weeks from now, on March 10th.

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?

The city has a long history of blowing off the Public Safety Review Committee.  So this is not new – its been going on for at least 25 years. The Police and Fire Commission didn’t reach out to us to give input on hiring the new police chief.  We weren’t involved in any of the process.  We weren’t extended an invitation to the swearing in, we weren’t invited to any of the community or committee introductions of the new chief.

As chair of the Public Safety Review Committee (until next spring/summer when they probably boot me as the chair, or until the mayor gets irritated with police department supporters complaining about me) I sent an email informing the committee members of the opportunities they would have this week to meet the new police chief – assuming he’d be at our PSRC meeting next week.  The email said the following:

(That might look familiar to regular readers!) I cc’d the mayor’s office.  Mary Bottari promptly responded:

Hi Brenda, when is the next PSRC meeting? That is the natural place for you to welcome him, it looks like he is visiting meetings already scheduled for this week. We can put you in touch with his scheduler Alyssa Caines.

Committee staff (the fabulous Emily Hardiman) followed up and told us the following:

FYI, Chief Barnes will have to attend the March meeting.  He is not available in February. Captain Winter will have to share an update until there is an official introduction from the Police Chief.  There are several events that can be attended to that time so hopefully PSRC members will have an opportunity to do so.  Thanks Brenda for sharing those!

ALDER BARBARA MCKINNEY OK WITH BEING BLOWN OFF

Oddly enough, Alder Barbara McKinney (who we are so grateful is recovering from the incident at our last meeting) replied with the following:

Thank you. I would not expect a special invitation special invitation extended to PSRC. I should think it would be well within the report Captain Winters introduction by Captains

Really?

SO, NOW WHAT?

We just wait?

Our next meeting should be where we create our annual work plan.  Should we do it without the new chief’s input?  Our 2021 workplan/direction of the PSRC was on the agenda in November and December, but we delayed, partially because Alder McKinney who frequently questions what is on our agenda and asked to talk about the “direction” of the PSRC wasn’t at those two meetings and I wanted her input in the collective decision making and planning of the body.  In January we had it on the agenda again, but we ended our meeting early due to her medical emergency, so we were finally going to do it at our meeting next Wednesday.  I guess we just go forward with our thoughts without talking to the police chief?

When I was first appointed to the PSRC and became the chair, I took initiative and met with the police chief (Wahl) and fire chief )Davis) and the deputy mayor (Cam McLay) about what they saw would be important to focus on.  We’ve been without a deputy mayor since McLay left and the new deputy mayor (Rueben Sannon) only made a brief appearance and I haven’t heard from him since.  I suppose I have to be the one to reach out to him?

And I suppose, I should take initiative and reach out to the new chief as well – if he can fit me into his busy schedule.  I would have much preferred a group process/discussion.

Rough start.  I hope it gets better.